Al Furqan School Parent/Student Handbook Islamic Association of Raleigh 808 Atwater St, Raleigh, NC 27607 (919) 834-9572 email: email@alfurqanschool.com
General Information Al Furqan School is a weekend Islamic School that has been serving the Muslim community in the Triangle area since 1991. The school offers classes for students from Pre-K to the High School level. Currently there are approximately 400 students enrolled in Al Furqan school. The school is run solely by volunteers who serve as teachers and administrators to seek Allah s pleasure. Mission Statement The mission of Al Furqan School is to provide an Islamic education and teach Islamic concepts, in light of the Quran and Sunnah, to our children in a pleasant and receptive manner with the goal of preparing them to conduct themselves as Muslims living in a non-islamic environment. Al Furqan School strives to achieve this goal by providing: 1. Classes in Islamic Studies, Quran memorization and recitation. 2. An Islamic environment for socialization. 3. An opportunity to offer salah (prayer) in jamaat (congregation). Through such a program, Al Furqan School aims to instill Islamic behavior and manners in our youth, to teach students the basics of Islam, and to help children become proud, practicing Muslims, Insha' Allah. Al Furqan School Staff Committee Members The Committee is currently comprised of a Chair, Vice Chair, Principal, Director, Elementary School Department Head, Middle/High School Department Head, Treasurer, Communications Manager, Administrative Assistant, IT Specialist, Database Manager and Office Manager. Teaching Staff There are approximately 75 teachers and teacher assistants in all classrooms from Pre-K to High School. Communications Al Furqan School can be reached at the following : Phone (voicemail): IAR main line 834-9572 Email: email@alfurqanschool.com Website: www.alfurqanschool.com Wiki: www.alfurqanschool.pbwiki.com Al Furqan School communicates with parents predominantly via email. However, the school, on special occasions, will call parents when needed and sometimes send paper
notices home with students. Parents are encouraged to go to the school website as a first source of information. Registration Registration for the upcoming school year is held in the Spring and is on a first-comefirst-serve basis. Registration dates are announced on the school website. Tuition is due at the time of registration. For families that do not enroll during the registration period, a late fee will be charged. Al Furqan School will continue to take late registration only on a space available basis. Tuition Tuition is charged to meet expenses incurred throughout the school year. Tuition is announced prior to registration. The cost of textbooks, course materials, and a weekly snack (Pizza and water bottle) are included in the registration fee. Tuition must be paid at the time of registration. In cases of economic hardship, fees may be reduced or waived. Forms for requesting a waiver are available at the office. A late fee is charged for registration after the designated registration period end. Refunds may be obtained up to month after the start of school, less the cost of textbooks. Academic Calendar The Al Furqan School Calendar can be found at www.alfurqanschool.com. The calendar for the 2008-2009 school year is as follows: Al Furqan School Calendar and Schedule for School Year 2008-2009 Fall Semester 2008 Spring Semester 2009 September 7 First Day of School January 25 Second Semester September 14 February 1 September 21 February 8 September 28 February 15 October 5 School Closed/ Eid-al-Fitr February 22 October 12 March 1 October 19 March 8 October 26 March 15 November 2 March 22 November 9 March 29 November 16 April 5 School Closed November 23 April 12 School Closed November 30 School Closed/ Thanksgiving April 19 December 7 School Closed/ Eid-al-Adha April 26
December 14 May 3 December 21 School Closed May 10 Final Exams December 28 School Closed May 17 Make Up Exams January 4 2009 May 24 School Closed January 11 Final Exams May 31 Last Day of School January 18 Parent Conferences School Closings 1. Sundays on/or following Eid-ul-Fitr and Eid-ul-Adha are holidays. 2. Winter and summer breaks correspond with the break schedules of the Wake County Public School System's traditional calendar. 3. School cancellations due to inclement weather correspond to cancellations announced by the local public school systems and institutions and as communicated on the school s website: www.alfurqanschool.com. School Hours School hours are 9:45 a.m. to 1:20 p.m. every Sunday. Children are expected to attend the Dhuhr prayers as a part of the school activity. Arrival/Dismissal Student arrival must be by 9:45 AM. Dismissal is at 1:20 PM. Parents are expected to ensure that children arrive at school on time and be picked up on time to prepare for Dhuhr prayer in the Mussallah. Early Dismissal Parents who wish to pick up their students prior to the end of day dismissal must sign their children out in the office of either building. Students may not wait outside or leave campus until a parent signs them out early. Parking Parking at the school is limited to designated parking spaces and available street parking only. Parking in No Parking areas or in spaces blocked off by school security will result in the towing of vehicle at the owners expense. There is no parking in the drop off area in front of the school. This is for emergency vehicles only. Due to the dangers of street traffic, children should only be dropped off inside the school complex, in front of the main school building. Children should never be dropped off in the street.
Traffic in the school complex is one way only. Traffic should enter from Atwater St. and exit onto Ligon St. Emergency Procedures In the event of an emergency, the parents will be contacted by the school. An emergency contact should be provided in the event parents are unavailable. Emergency contacts should be provided on the registration form. Illness Procedures In the event a student falls ill, he or she will be sent to the front office, where the parents of the student will be contacted immediately for pick up. No medications of any kind will be administered to any students. Any known allergies of a student should be communicated to the teachers and noted on registration forms. Attendance/Punctuality Policy Students are expected to attend every Sunday that Al Furqan School is open. However, in the event a student must miss school, parents must provide the student s teacher with a signed note explaining the absence or email the school with an explanation for the absence. Notes or emails should contain the students name, grade, teacher and the date of the absence along with reasons for the absence. Without such a note or email, teachers will mark the absence as UNEXCUSED. All work missed due to an absence must be made up in consultation with the students teacher. In the event students miss multiple classes, parents must discuss the reasons for the absence with both the student s teacher and the Department Heads. Only such a consultation will prevent the absences from being considered unexcused. However, in the event a student receives 3 or more unexcused absences, the student will be referred to the Department Head and the Principal for review of his/her attendance issues. The Executive Committee will determine whether the student s attendance record merits expulsion from the school. Once a student is expelled, he/she may not be allowed to re-enroll until the following school year. Punctuality is also of critical importance. Students are expected to be in their classroom by 9:50 a.m. so that lessons may begin exactly at 10:00 a.m. Students arriving in their classrooms after 10:00 a.m. must obtain a tardy slip from the main lobby to present to their teachers. Three or more tardies will be the equivalent of one unexcused absence, and the Attendance policy will then be followed as outlined above.
Dress Code Parents and students are reminded that Allah (SWT) required that our aurah be covered. We encourage students to respect themselves and adhere to Islamic rules for dress. 1. All girls are encouraged to wear a head cover in Quran classes. Girls 11 years of age and over are required to wear their hijab, i.e. loose-fitting clothes and head cover during school. 2. Shorts and short dresses are not allowed. 3. Caps (sport) are not allowed in the classrooms. 4. Boys are not to wear shorts. 5. Any clothing material displaying inappropriate images is not allowed. Note: The Chairman, Principal/School Director, Committee member, administrator and/or a class teacher has the authority to decide whether clothing is appropriate. Student Conduct and Discipline Policy Students are expected to maintain an atmosphere that is conducive to learning and Islamic behavior. Parents are urged to emphasize the importance of education, respect for teachers, and the need for spiritual and physical cleanliness, decency in dress, and Islamic behavior. School Rules: In order to provide the best learning environment for students it is important that all students follow the school rules. 1. Students will listen and follow directions. 2. Students will practice self-control. 3. Students will keep hands, feet and objects to self. 4. Students will respect others. 5. Students will come to class on time. 6. Students will come to class prepared (Notebook, Textbook, Pen or Pencil as appropriate). 7. Students will NOT LEAVE CAMPUS AT ANY TIME. Consequences: Students who continually break the school rules or are found to be disruptive or are generally misbehaving will be referred to the Main Office/Principal. Consequences can include: phone call to parents, parent conference or in school detention. If the problem is excessive or extreme, it will be referred to the Chairman or Student Support Team (SST) Committee for determination of appropriate consequences including the possibility of suspension or expulsion from the school for the remainder of the school year.
A parent seeking clarification for a particular disciplinary action may do so by filing such a request in writing within 7 days of the action taken. This request will be addressed and submitted to the Director of Al Furqan School. In case the matter remains unresolved upon review by the Director, the request will be forwarded to the Al Furqan Chairman or School Committee for a final determination. Curriculum Class Placement Students are placed in the grade level corresponding to their age or level in public school. In certain cases, the student may be placed according to their subject knowledge, but only after he/she has been properly evaluated by the teacher and permission has been obtained from the Department Head. Courses Please see Al Furqan Curriculum for more information at www.alfurqanschool.com. Grading Policy The recommended breakdown of the total course grade is as follows. 25% Midterm 25% Final Exam 25% Quizzes and Assignments 10% Classroom Participation 15% Behavior and Attendance Teachers may make changes to this model depending on their requirements for the class. Midterm and Final Exam. Midterm and Final Exams are held at the end of the first and second semester. Report cards are distributed at the end of the first and second semester. Class Assignments Students must complete their homework assignments. Incomplete homework will affect the student s grade. Classroom Rules 1. There is to be no food or drink in class at any time. Disruptive or distracting behavior is not tolerated in the classroom. 2. Only school related books and materials are allowed in the classroom. 3. Students must dispose of waste in trash cans. 4. Students must not write on or mark desks, walls, floors, or other school property. Grievance Procedure If you have a concern regarding your child, please take the matter directly to the teacher.
If it is not, or cannot be, resolved at the class level, the matter should then be taken to the Director of the school. In case the matter remains unresolved upon review by the Director, the order in which the grievance will then be addressed is as follows: the Chair, then the School Committee and lastly the Shura. Lost and Found Students are encouraged to leave all non-school items at home. Coats, backpacks, books, etc. should be clearly marked with the child s name to permit easy identification. There is a lost and found box in the office. Parents and students are invited to check the lost and found for missing items. Unclaimed items will be given to charitable organizations at the end of the school year. Parent Support Group The Parent Support Group (PSG) was founded in January 2002. The PSG provides support in the form of volunteer management to the school administration, as it strives to meet the needs of the Al Furqan School student body. Volunteer programs managed by the PSG include: room parents, security, cafeteria, recess monitors, Al Furqan events and more. For more information see the Al Furqan School website: www.alfurqanschool.com or the PSG table in the lobby. Volunteers All volunteering efforts are for the sake of Allah (SWT) only. The school is run solely by volunteers who give their time in all capacities to the school. All families are required to donate a minimum of 8 full Sundays for the entire academic year to volunteering at Al Furqan. Volunteers who have an ability, gift or expertise in any field by which Al Furqan can benefit are encouraged to contact the Director. We are always looking for knowledgeable individuals to volunteer in teaching our young Muslims. Disclaimer Students must stay within the school premises during school hours. Both The Al Furqan School administration and the Islamic Association of Raleigh will not be held liable for deliberate or accidental occurrences of any sort involving students both within and outside the school premises. Changes to School Policies Al Furqan School reserves the right to change any school policies and procedures at any time, but will alert you that changes have been made by indicating the date the terms were last updated. We encourage you to review our Parent Student Handbook and other school policies and procedures whenever you use this website.